Nose
A sophisticated wine with an impressive balance of intensity and elegance that offers generous aromas of dried rosemary, black cherries and French oak nuances.
Palate
Soft and rich on the palate, yet firmly structured, the wine's dark fruit flavors glide smoothly over refined tannins that provide a long and pleasurable finish.
Growing Conditions
The 2014 Feather is a showcase for three of Washington's top Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards. One-third of the grapes were grown at The Benches Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills, with the resulting wine offering silky, refined tannins and an appealing earthiness. Dionysus Vineyard brings intense, dark fruit flavors, and Walla Walla's Pepper Bridge Vineyard adds to the wine's deep color and character.
Harvest
The 2014 vintage enjoyed a picture-perfect growing season that produced rich, flavorful wines. Spring arrived early, warm and dry, setting the stage for another hot summer. Temperatures were consistently warm, hastening an early start to harvest, but the Columbia Valley's balmy fall days and cool autumn nights allowed the grapes to reach full physiological maturity while preserving the fruits' natural acidity and yielding high quality grapes across the board.
Winemaking
Hand-harvested grapes were sorted, lightly crushed and fermented in small stainless steel tanks. Once fermentation was underway, the cap was pumped over aggressively 2-3 times per day to extract color and structure. As fermentation neared completion, pump-overs were handled more gently to continue to extract delicate tannins and texture without imparting harsh tannins.
Aging
The finished wine was aged 22 months in 90% new Vicard French oak barrels.
